1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control system utilizing a mobile communication terminal and an IC card to be installed in the mobile communication terminal. This invention also relates to a mobile communication terminal and an IC card used for the above control system.
2. Description of Related Art
A Japanese laid-open patent application No. 3-182965, entitled xe2x80x9cA total home control systemxe2x80x9d discloses a system in which a plurality of various home-electronics equipments are totally and centrally controlled by a single controller by using a control program stored in a card-type storage medium and individual identification information of ID detector. By this system, the home-electronics equipments in a house are controlled in conformity with life style of a user.
In the system disclosed in the Japanese laid-open patent application No. 3-182965, a control program to control various home-electronics equipments to meet the life style of a user is stored in a card-type storage medium. An ID detector is installed in each room of users, and each user has an ID card identifying himself or herself.
A card reader/writer reads out the control program of the home-electronics equipments for each individual stored in the IC card, and writes it into the program memory of the controller. Based on the control program for the individual corresponding to detected output from the ID detector, the controller controls various home-electronics equipments. Therefore, each individual does not have to individually switch on and off the home-electronics equipments in the room, and thus the user can have comfortable and convenient life that meets his or her life style.
However, the above-mentioned system is quite different from a system in which various home-electronics equipments in the house are controlled from outside of the house. Specifically, the above-mentioned system does not use mobile communication terminals broadly used in these days, and hence it cannot achieve remote control of the home-electronics equipments from outside of the house.
In a modern life style, there is a need to automatically control home-electronics equipments in an absent house from outside. However, no such consideration was made in the above-mentioned system, and remarkable improvement of convenience in human life cannot be expected.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned problem, and the present invention provides a system in which various home-electronics information terminals are automatically or deliberately controlled by using a mobile communication terminal and an IC card installed therein to communicate with the home-electronics information terminals installed in the house. Thereby, for example, the home-electronics information terminals can be switched ON and OFF, the condition thereof can be changed, and/or an electronic locking system can be locked and/or unlocked.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card, wherein the IC card includes: a comparing means for comparing a location information, such as cell ID, received from the mobile communication terminal with residential area information and area status information stored in the IC card; and a determining means for determining whether the mobile communication terminal moves into or out of a residential area based on the comparison result of the comparing means, wherein the mobile communication terminal includes: a notifying means for notifying the location information, such as cell ID, and the changed location information to the IC card whenever a change is detected; a first commanding means for sending a command automatically to a home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Going-out status when it is determined that the mobile communication terminal moves out of the residential area; and a second commanding means for sending a command automatically to the home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in the house via the mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Staying status when it is determined that the mobile communication terminal moves into the residential area.
By this system, the user does not forget switching off or does not perform erroneous setting of the home-electronics information terminal when he or she goes out of the residential area. When the user goes into the residential area, the home-electronics information terminal can be powered on, in advance, or set to a predetermined setting condition in advance.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card, wherein in an automatic control mode the IC card determines that the mobile communication terminal moves out of a residential area based on a positional information of the mobile communication terminal, and wherein the mobile communication terminal sends a command to a home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Going-out status when the IC card determines that the mobile communication terminal moves out of the residential area. By this system, the user does not forget switching off or does not make erroneous setting of the home-electronics information terminal when he or she goes out of the residential area.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card, wherein in the automatic control mode the IC card determines that the mobile communication terminal moves into a residential area based on a positional information of the mobile communication terminal, and wherein the mobile communication terminal sends a command to a home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Staying status when the IC card determines that the mobile communication terminal moves into of the residential area. By this system, when the user goes into the residential area, the home-electronics information terminal can be powered on, in advance, or set to a predetermined setting condition in advance.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card, wherein the mobile communication terminal operates in an automatic control mode and a manual control mode. In a manual control mode, the user can operate the mobile communication terminal with IC card within a house or from a remote place and deliberately change a setting of the specified home-electronics information terminal with wireless function installed in the house
By this system, the user can control the power ON/OFF and/or various setting of the home-electronics information terminal installed in a house within the house or from a remote place.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card, wherein the IC card includes: a subscriber identification module for using a mobile communication network; a setting means for setting an identification number, such as acceptable telephone number, to designate the home-electronics information terminal to be remotely controlled and to inhibit remote control for all of the home-electronics information terminals; and an executing means for executing a setting change command received from the mobile communication terminal.
By this system, it is possible to avoid a third person to remotely control the home-electronics information terminal installed in the house. In addition, the user can remotely control the home-electronics information terminal from the mobile communication terminal having a preset telephone number.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals including a mobile communication terminal with IC card including a subscriber identification module, wherein the mobile communication terminal communicates with a home-electronics information terminal with IC card, and wherein a security is ensured during the communication between the mobile communication terminal and the home-electronics information terminal by a key producing function for an encrypted communication and an electronic signature function for identification and authentication provided by the subscriber identification module in the IC cards installed in both the mobile communication terminal and the home-electronics information terminal.
By this system, the user can safely remote-control the home-electronics information terminal in the house from the mobile communication terminal without the need to introduce new security system.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication terminal used in the above remote control system including: (1) a wireless communication function for communicating with a mobile communication network; (2) a unit for detecting location information; (3) a unit for notifying a change of the location information to the IC card when the change is detected; (4) a unit for executing various commands received from the IC card; (5) means for communicating with the IC card; (6) means for connecting and communicating with the home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in the house; and (7) a unit for setting condition necessary for remote control of the home-electronics information terminals installed in the house via physical buttons or soft keys through a screen on the mobile communication terminal. By using this mobile communication terminal, the above remote control system can fully function.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IC card used in the above remote control system including: (1) a unit for identifying subscribers; (2) a event setup unit for setting, when the mobile communication terminal detects change of the location information, the mobile communication terminal to notify the change of the location information; (3) a unit for comparing the location information, such as cell ID, received from the mobile communication terminal with residential area information and area status information stored in the IC card when the change is notified and for requesting to the mobile communication terminal to connect and send a command to the home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in the house to set to a preset Going-out status when it is determined that the mobile communication terminal moves out of the residential area; and (4) a unit for comparing the location information received from the mobile communication terminal with residential area information and area status information stored in the IC card when the change is notified and for requesting to the mobile communication terminal to connect and send a command to the home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in the house to set to a preset Stay status when it is determined that the mobile communication terminal moves into the residential area. By this IC card, the above remote control system can fully function.